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Move over, San Francisco: The suburbs of Silicon Valley are calling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

By Eliyahu Kamisher | BloombergSan Francisco’s Westfield mall was for decades the city’s premier shopping destination, a nine-story complex in the heart of downtown known for its iconic glass dome and spiral escalators.These days, the property is struggling with empty storefronts and falling foot traffic — so much so that owners Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Brookfield Corp. are giving the mall up to lenders, underscoring the wider challenges for brick-and mortar retail. Last weekend brought a particularly deep blow: the anchor Nordstrom Inc. store closed after 35 years.Just an hour’s drive south, Westfield has another shopping center in San Jose that’s booming. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, it’s added new stores, including a three-story Eataly eatery and a luxury wing with brands like Tiffany & Co. and Versace. The mall’s sales have increased by 66% since 2019.RELATED: Valley Fair rebounds: San Jose mall adds merchants, hits record sales and visitsThe contrast highlig...

Farmers Insurance to lay off 11% of its workers across its entire business

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

New York — California-based Farmers Insurance said Monday it is laying off 11% of its workforce — or 2,400 employees — in a bid to restructure itself for long-term growth.The jobs being cut are from across all areas of the company, according to a statement on its website.“Given the existing conditions of the insurance industry and the impact they are having on our business, we need to take decisive actions today to better position Farmers for future success,” said Raul Vargas, president and CEO of Farmers Group, Inc,. in the statement.Last month, Farmers announced it would stop offering its policies in Florida, saying in a statement that the decision was necessary to manage its risk exposure in the hurricane-prone state.Related ArticlesBusiness | Where are California’s biggest pay raises? Look inland Business | DOJ sues SpaceX, alleging it discriminated against refugees, asylum seekers Business | California job growth ranks last in US while...

Robotaxis, autonomous vehicles still require caution from other drivers: Roadshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

Q: A reader asked, “Any tips for pedestrians or drivers in the vicinity of a robotaxi?”I treat robotaxis the same as any other vehicle: Assume they are driven by a mindless, distracted, reckless idiot, until proven otherwise.B. MonteA: And…Q: At the height of the afternoon commute a couple of years ago, I was the last car with the green light turning left onto El Monte Road from El Camino Real in Mountain View. There would have been plenty of time to complete my turn, if traffic were allowed to flow naturally.But I became caught in the middle of El Camino Real, where three lanes of southbound traffic began heading toward me, when the self-driving car in front of me came to a complete stop, for no apparent reason. Its sensor likely noted three impatient male pedestrians had stepped into the street, waiting there for the light to change for them, instead of safely remaining on the pedestrian curb.I learned then to stay far away from all self-driving cars, remembering...

10 Part D Medicare drugs are targeted for price negotiations to cut costs. Here’s the list

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

A blood thinner, diabetes treatments and drugs used to treat autoimmune disease and heart failure are on the list of 10 drugs that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has targeted for price negotiations to cut Medicare costs.In a statement, the government said the list of 10 drugs represented more than $50 billion, or about 20%, of Part D gross covered prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023. That’s the period used to decide which drugs were eligible for negotiation.RELATED: Biden targets diabetes drug Jardiance, blood thinner Eliquis and 8 others for Medicare price talksThe next step is for the government to negotiate prices for the 10 drugs with their manufacturers, in an effort to reduce prices for patients. The program already faces lawsuits from drugmakers and criticism from Republican lawmakers. It’s also a centerpiece of Demcrat Joe Biden’s reelection pitch as he seeks a second term in office by touting his work to lower costs fo...

Man allegedly armed with knife shot, injured by SFPD in Tenderloin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

(BCN) -- Authorities are investigating a shooting by police in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Monday night that injured a male suspect allegedly armed with a knife. At 10:22 p.m. Monday, officers responded to reports of someone armed with a knife who was allegedly threatening people in the 300 block of Jones Street. Upon arriving at the scene, officers engaged the suspect. During the encounter, a shooting occurred and the suspect was struck by gunfire, police said in a statement. Officers and paramedics gave first aid to the suspect, who was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. Man accused of killing boy, 6, hides during first court appearance The San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the San Francisco Police Department's Investigative Services and Internal Affairs divisions, and the city's Department of Police Accountability are investigating the shooting. A town hall meeting regarding the shooting will be held within...

Tourism at Point Reyes contributed $149M to local economy: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

(BCN) -- Tourism to Point Reyes National Seashore contributed $149 million to the local economy in 2022, a new report from the National Park Service shows. According to the report, the park hosted 2.3 million visitors supporting 1,120 jobs in local communities, as tourists spent an estimated $117 million in those communities. "People come to Point Reyes National Seashore to relax and enjoy any number of activities the park has to offer including wildlife viewing, hiking and camping," superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore Craig Kenkel explained. Nationally, the report conducted by park service economists found that in 2022, nearly 312 million park visitors spent around $23.9 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park, supporting 378,400 jobs. Work trucks targeted by burglars in Pacifica, tools stolen The cumulative benefit of park tourism to the U.S. economy was $50.3 billion in 2022, with the lodging sector producing the highest direct effects...

Man crashes stolen car down embankment, dies on San Jose

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

(BCN) -- A man was killed Sunday morning in San Jose when the stolen car he was driving crashed into a creek embankment. San Jose police were patrolling the area of Snell Avenue and Avenida Del Robles at 8:28 a.m. when they saw a stolen Kia sedan turn into a residential neighborhood west of Snell. Officers lost sight of the vehicle shortly after entering the neighborhood and didn't get the chance to try stopping the driver. As patrol units circulated the area, officers found the stolen vehicle down in an embankment of Canoas Creek, near the intersection of Velasco Drive and Avenida Arboles. Police said Monday their preliminary investigation revealed the adult male driver of the stolen vehicle was speeding westbound on Avenida Arboles when it struck a chain-link fence and a wooden barrier, colliding into the creek embankment. Work trucks targeted by burglars in Pacifica, tools stolen The driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Officers attempted medical aid and medical personne...

Jean Dawson is introducing fans to 3 new characters in his latest musical trilogy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jean Dawson is an open book. Onstage, the eccentric performer takes control as he bounces around, full of energy with vulnerable lyricism and experimental sound. In person, he’s charming and introspective, sitting across with a tight sweatshirt hoodie pulled over his head and his hair falling over his eyes as he speaks in metaphors and long anecdotes about his latest projects, fame, cultural identity and more. Since the release of his 2019 mixtape, “Bad Sports,” Dawson has created music that seamlessly ebbs and flows from one genre to the next, ranging from rap to punk to folk and abstract hip-hop, with relatable lyrics that take on topics like mental health and hypermasculinity.This year, he’s unveiling a new body of work that allow fans to see three different, “hyper-aestheticized” parts of himself. Dawson’s musical trilogy is divided into three chapters, each with its own unique character. The first, ”‘XCAPE,’ PT. 1 JEAN DAWSON AS PHOENIX’” was released i...

More than 60 people detained after a gay wedding in southern Nigeria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Police in Nigeria said Tuesday they detained at least 67 people celebrating a gay wedding in one of the largest mass detentions targeting homosexuality, which is outlawed in the West African country.The “gay suspects” were arrested in southern Delta state’s Ekpan town at about 2 a.m. on Monday at an event where two of them were married, state police spokesman Bright Edafe told reporters. He said that homosexuality “will never be tolerated” in Nigeria.Arrests of gay people are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where gay people can face up to 14 years in prison under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. Accomplices also face 10 years in prison. Enacted in 2013, the law has been condemned locally and internationally though it is also supported by many in the country.Police in Delta stormed a hotel in Ekpan where the gay wedding was being held and initially arrested 200 people, Edafe told reporters. Later, 67 of them were detained aft...

Heavy rains cause significant flooding in parts of West Virginia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:47 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Thunderstorms dumped heavy rains that caused significant flooding in parts of West Virginia on Monday, authorities said.Gov. Jim Justice issued a state of emergency in at least five counties, enabling the National Guard to activate swift-water rescue teams and use helicopters in areas hit by floodwaters.“This is an ongoing, life-threatening emergency,” the Kanawha County Commission said on social media. “Please seek higher ground.”The commission said that based on radar estimates, up to 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) of rain fell in a short amount of time Monday in areas east of Charleston, sending several creeks out of their banks. Classes at several schools were canceled. Mudslides closed U.S. Route 60 in the Kanawha County community of Cedar Grove, and flooding led to lane closures on parts of Interstate 77.First responders conducted at least 22 water rescues in the county Monday morning, the commission said. The communities that were hit the hardest were al...